Six

As the world slowly reopens, Shutups' "Six" rightfully follows their introspective EP "5" with a sense of reemergence. Free of the literal confines and limited resources that spawned last year’s “5,” "Six" boasts a cacophony of triumphant guitar, exultant harmonies, and expansive synths. However, beneath the anthemic pop-infused exterior of these songs, there’s a lingering pessimism. From the single "NSA (Corporate Holidays)", to the deeply-wounded "Ultimatum", to the angsty "No cursing in your mother's house" and finishing with the self-deprecating acoustic anthem "Fake Xerox Punk", "Six" speaks to the current bind: a longing to kill the past while burdened with the stresses of the present. It's the feeling that summer ended before it started.